Fostering data

1. How many individual children (not placements) were placed into mainstream foster care by the LA over the past 12 months (or the most recent 12-month period that you’re able to process)?

There were 856 unique children placed in foster placements.  Note this includes placed with family and friends (as in house foster carers) where the carers have been given temporary or full fostering approval.

2. Of those, please confirm how many individual children (not placements) were placed with foster carers of independent fostering agencies.

Of those 856, 255 were placed, at some point during the year, with foster carers registered with independent fostering agencies.

3. What is the minimum, maximum and average agency fee you have given to IFAs for individual children (not placements) placed as ‘standard’ placements?

Min                   £654.60

Max                  £1,198.00

Average           £855.82

4. What is the minimum, maximum and average agency fee you have given to IFAs for individual children (not placements) placed as ‘enhanced’ placements (including step-down, remand and children with disabilities)?

Min                   £858.31

Max                  £4,032.00

Average           £1,259.98

5. What is the minimum, maximum and average agency fee you have given to IFAs for parent and child placements (placement fee, not for individuals)?

Min                   £1,468

Max                  £2,569

Average           £1,840

6. Of all individual children (not placements) placed in the 12-month period, please break down the numbers by ethnicity (categories you record)

7. And also by religion

Unlike ethnicity, child’s religion is not something the Local Authority are required to report on, so the recording may not be consistent and has not been validated to be accurate.  Religion for the 856 is recorded as follows:

Only 94 out of the 856 has a religion recorded, the rest recorded as either “not having a religion” or nothing is recorded.